Greta Gerwig comments on ‘Barbie’ Best Director Oscar snub: ‘I’m just happy we all get to be there together’

Greta Gerwig has finally weighed in on her controversial Oscar snub for Best Director.

Speaking to Time in an interview published this week, the “Barbie” filmmaker – and 2024 Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay – said she had hoped star Margot Robbie would get recognized for her performance. But, otherwise, Gerwig is happy both she and Robbie, who produced the blockbuster Best Picture nominee, can call themselves Oscar nominees for the film.

“Of course I wanted it for Margot,” Gerwig said. “But I’m just happy we all get to be there together.”

While speaking to the legacy outlet, Gerwig even relayed an anecdote about a friend’s mother, who had perhaps only read headlines about the “Barbie” snubs and didn’t realize Gerwig was an actual nominee.

“A friend’s mom said to me, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t get nominated,’” she said. “I said, ‘But I did. I got an Oscar nomination.’ She was like, ‘Oh, that’s wonderful for you!’ I was like, ‘I know!’”

“Barbie” landed eight 2024 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress for America Ferrera, Best Adapted Screenplay for Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, and Best Song for “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken.” The expectation is that “Barbie” will win at least one Academy Award – likely Best Song – and perhaps as many as three or four, with Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Adapted Screenplay all possible. 

Gerwig was left off the list of Best Director nominees in favor of Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”), Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”), Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”), and Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”). Her snub, as well as Robbie’s miss in the Best Actress race, was immediately controversial, with many – including both Gosling and Fererra – expressing displeasure toward the academy for its failure to recognize the “Barbie” architects.

“I am extremely honored to be nominated by my colleagues alongside such remarkable artists in a year of so many great films,” Gosling said in a statement released following the nominations. “And I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m also incredibly honored and proud that it’s for portraying a plastic doll named Ken.”

“But there is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film. No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement,” Gosling added.

“Against all odds with nothing but a couple of soulless, scantily clad, and thankfully crotchless dolls, they made us laugh, they broke our hearts, they pushed the culture and they made history. Their work should be recognized along with the other very deserving nominees,” he continued.

Speaking to Variety, Ferrera said she was “incredibly disappointed” with the snubs.

“Greta has done just about everything that a director could do to deserve it,” Ferrera said. “Creating this world, and taking something that didn’t have inherent value to most people and making it a global phenomenon. It feels disappointing to not see her on that list.”

Speaking of Robbie, Ferrera added, “What Margot achieved as an actress is truly unbelievable. One of the things about Margot as an actress is how easy she makes everything look. And perhaps people got fooled into thinking that the work seems easy, but Margot is a magician as an actress in front of the screen, and it was one of the honors of my career to get to witness her pull off the amazing performance she did. She brings so much heart and humor and depth and joy and fun to the character. In my book, she’s a master.”

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